National Republican., 1887-01-25
rnr rrLrpuoNn CASES.
An Extraordinary Array OF Counsel be-
fore the Court.

fore the Court.
1hc United States Supreme Court room
was crowded with spectators and members
Of the bar yesterday when the court assem-
bled at 12 o'clock. There was present an
extraordinary array Of counsel representing
the various telephone companies. Among
the most prominent OF them were Causten
Browne and j. +. Maynadere, of Boston,
for the Dolbear Company; Wheeler A. Peck
ham and Grosvenor p. Lowry, of New York
city, for the Molecular Company; VIM. w.
ker, OF Philadelphia, Of star route case
fame, for the Commercial Company; Lysan-
der Hill, Of Chicago; Don NJ. Dickinson, of
Detroit, and George f. Edmunds, for the
Peoples or Drawbaugh Telephone Com
pany; Charles r. Crosby, Of New York city,
for the Overland Company, and e. N. Dick
erson, of New York, and Chauncey Smith,
and James j. Storrow, Of Boston, for the
Bell Telephone Company. There were also
present a number Of telephone officers, ex-
perts, and inventors, including Prof. Bell
The telephone cases were called at 2:20
o'clock. All the justices were present OK
cept Mr.. Justice Woods, who is sick In Cali
fornia, and Mr.. Justice Gray, who, In view
Of the fact that his relatives are holders of
considerable amount OF telephone stock,
has decided not to take part In the hearing
ana decision OF the cases.
After long colloouy between the chief
justice and counsel for the respective COM
panies with regard to the time aud order Of
argument, II was decided that Mr.. Magma.
dier should open for the Dolbear case, Mr..
w. ii. Peckham In the Molecular case, and
Mr.. Lysander Hill In the Drawbaugh case.
Mr.. Storrow will then open the argument
for the Bell Telephone Company. The chief
justice notified counsel that tue court, In
view OF the Importance OF these cases, had
decided to postpone the usual February re-
cess one week and allow counsel two weeks
time for this argument-that is from yes
terday until week from next Friday.
The telephone cases, which will occupy
the attention OF the court, are five In num-
ber, and in sll Of them the American Bell
Telephone Company is the appellee. The
appellants In these cases aud the courts
from which the appeals come are as follows:
]. Amos f. Dolbear and others appeal
fiom the United States court for the dis
ttict of Massachusetts,. 2. The Molecular
Telephone Company and others; from the
United States circuit court for tho southern
district of New York. 3. The Clay Com
mercial Telephone Company and others
from the United States circuit court for the
eastern district OF Pennsylvania. 4. The
Peoples Telephone Company and others;
from the United States circuit court for the
NJ Ds
Overland Telephone Company aud others;
from the United States circuit court for the
southern district OF New York. These cases
are series of appeal from the principal
suits in which the Bell patents Of March 4,
1876, and Jan. 30, 1877 have been litigated.
At 1915 o'clock Mr.. j. e. Maynadier
opened the argument in the Dolbear case,
and spoke up to the adjournment of the
court.
INTERVIEW WITH ELISHA GRAY.
Mr.. Elisha Gray, the telephone inventor,
has arrived in the city. Last evening he
was seen by a reporter for the REPUBLICAN,,
and asked IL he could explain what founda,
tion there is for the claim of priority of in
vention OF the telephone by Antonio
Mucci, an italian, of New York, telegram
to that effect having lately been sent out
from Chicago by the Associated Press.
'I examined into the claim of Mucci
found that in 1871 he filed caveat at the
patent Office, claiming the invention OF u
mechanical telephone, which involved no
principle not In the lover's telephone.
This ia so old that we can hardly go back
SO far In history where we cannot find that
1t was used. tits said to have been familiar
with the Chinese. Mucci, to improve the
working Of bis telephone. applied elec-
tricity to the line he established, placing the
operators at each end on insulated stands.
But this in no wise conflicts with the mode
in which the modern telephone is operated,
and Mucci's invention does not resemble In
any important respect the modern instru
ment.
"a company has been organized under
the name Of the Globe Telephone Company
which owns the hopes of Mucci. This case
was brought before the attention of the
Secretary Of the Interior last fall"
1t has been learned that Mucci has lately
been in Chicago, and that the Globe Tele
phone Company was organized In that city.